Means for dispensing the contents of collapsible tubes



Feb. 5, 1957 u. c. HOLLAND 72,780,390

MEANS FOR DISPENSING THE CONTENTS OF COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed Jan. 26,1955 r 2 Sheets-Sheevl IN V EN TOR.

025A C. bum/v0 BY Feb/5, 1957 u. c. HOLLAND 2,780,390

MEANS FOR DISPENSING THE. CONTENTS OF COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed ,Jan. 26,1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 15 INVENTOR.

United States Patent MEANS FOR DISPENSING THE CONTENTS OF COLLAPSIBLETUBES Urban C. Holland, Plymouth, Mich.

Application January 26, 1955, Serial No. 484,145

Claims. (Cl. 222-103) This invention relates to improved means fordispensing the contents of collapsible tubes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a convenient,completely portable and sanitary dispenser for collapsible tubes whichadvances along the tube during its dispensing cycle and dispenses apredetermined amount of contents from the collapsible tube during eachcycle of operation thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed,easily manufactured and assembled, and convenient-to-use dispenser forcollapsible tubes that readily receives the butt end of the tube andadvances therealong responsive to a simple lever operation of itsdispensing cycle during which a predetermined amount of contents isejected from the head of the tube.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a collapsible tube dispenserembodying the invention taken on the line 1--1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1 withparts successively broken away to show the construction clearly.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view with parts successively broken away.

Fig. 4 is a bottom elevational view with the various elements of themechanism shown in dotted lines in the upper half thereof only, theconstruction being symmetrical about the longitudinal center thereof.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the hous ing or mainbody member taken on line 55 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the housing or main body member.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of one of the operating levers.

Fig. 8 is a view part in side elevation and of the operating lever shownin Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of one of the rocker cams employed to actuatethe tube grip blocks.

Fig. 10 is an end elevational view of the rocker cam shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a rear elevational view of a tube grip block.

Fig. 12 is an end elevational View of the tube grip block shown in Fig.11.

Fig. 13 is an elevational view of the tube stop employed to hold thetube into the position to which it is pulled by the tube grip blocksresponsive to manual squeezing of the operating levers.

Fig. 14 is an end elevational view of the tube stop ShOWn in Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a top plan view of the bottom cover.

Fig. 16 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 16-16 of Fig. 15.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like andcorresponding parts throughout the several views, the embodiment of theinvention disclosed for illustrative purposes is incorporated in ahousing or main part in section 2,780,390 Patented F eb. 5, 1957 bodymember 10 which is dished at its top 11 and has a tube slot 12 thereinto receive the flattened end of a collapsible tube. The main body member10 includes a bottom element 13 which is secured by cement or the liketo the said main body member 10 as indicated by the numeral 14. Thebottom element 13 has lever apertimes 15 and a tube slot 16 therein toaccommodate respectively a pair of operating levers 17 and the lowerflattened end of a collapsible tube 18 from which the contents have beendispensed as hereinafter described in detail. Inside and near the top ofthe main body member 10 adjacent the side walls 19 thereof arelongitudinally disposed arcuate concaved lever sockets 20 into which thecomplementarily formed upper ends 21 of the operating levers 17 pivots.One side of the central portion of the main body member 10 below thedished top thereof is provided with a diagonally downwardly disposedtube stop 23 which extends slightly into one side of the said tube slot16, the said tube stop 23 serving to prevent the tube 18 shown in dotand dash lines in Figs. 1 and 2 from accidentally sliding out of thedispenser during any dispensing cycle. The said tube stop 23 is suitablyapertured at 230 to fit over the nubs formed on the sloping bottom ofthe top 11 of the main body member 10. The free end of each nub 100 ispreferably upset by heat and pressure to secure the tube stop 23 firmlyagainst the said sloping bottom 110 of the top 11 of the main bodymember 10.

The operating levers 17 are each provided with apertures 24 therethroughsuitably formed to accommodate the cars 26 of a floating rocker cam 25,each rocker cam 25 having a curved cam surface 250 against which theinner face of an operating lever 17 is urged when the two operatinglevers 17 are manually squeezed together at their finger grips 1700. Theinwardly disposed pivot portion 27 of each of the rocker cams 25 isrounded at 270 to engage an arcuate groove 29 formed in one of a pair ofcentrally disposed tube grip blocks 28. Each tube grip block 28 isconstantly spring urged upwardly by a leaf spring 30, and each of thesaid leaf springs 30 are preferably anchored to the bottom of the gripblock 28 thereabove as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The innermostsurface of each tube grip block 28 is suitably deformed at 280 to engagethe flattened end of the tube 18 in non-slip relationship as movement ofthe operating levers 17 toward each other actuate the rocker cams 25which first urge the tube grip blocks into engagement with the tube 18disposed therebetween and then carry the tube 18 downwardly as viewed inFigs. 1 and 2 to compress or squeeze the portion of the said tube 18against the dished top 11 of the main body member 10, thus causing acertain quantity of contents of the tube 18 to be dispensed from theopen end 1800 thereof.

It will be noted that the operating levers 17, the rocker cams 25 andthe tube grip block-spring assemblies 25-30 are free floating in respectto each other, the ends of the leaf springs 30 being rather looselyretained in wells 31 provided in the side Walls of the main body member10 just above the bottom element 13 thereof.

The amount of the contents to be dispensed from the tube 18 in any onesqueeze of the operating levers 17 is predetermined by the extent of camaction to which any particular embodiment of the device is capable ofexercising.

When the pressure applied to the operating levers 17 is released, theleaf springs 30 move the tube grip block 28 upwardly and outwardly, and,because of the shape of the curved cam surface 250 and the relationshipto the operating levers 17, the said operating levers 17 are urged backto their original position shown in Fig. 1, which position is assumed bythe operating levers 17 prior to the beginning of any dispensing cycleof operation of the dispenser. During the said upward and outwardmovement of the tube grip blocks and the resultant movement of therocker cams 25 and the operating levers 17, the tube stop 23 holds thetube from accidental longitudinal movement with respect to the main bodymember ready for a subsequent dispensing cycle to be accomplished byagain squeezing together the finger grips 1760 of the operating lever17.

Although but one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed anddescribed in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made in thesize, shape, arrangement and detail of the various elements of theinvention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as definedby the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for dispensing the contents of collapsible tubes comprising abody portion having a slot therethrough to accommodate the flattened endof a collapsible tube, a pair of tube grip blocks within said bodyportion, one tube grip block disposed each side of said tube slot, apair of operating levers pivoted within said body portion, one operatinglever disposed on each side of said tube grip blocks, floating cam meansengageable by said operating levers and pivoted in said tube grip blocksadapted to move said tube grip blocks first into engagement with theflattened end of said collapsible tube and then downwardly with respectto said body portion whereby to compress the said collapsible tubeagainst the top of said body portion and force contents therefrom.

2. Means for dispensing the contents of collapsible tubes comprising abody portion having a slot therethrough to accommodate the flattened endof a collapsible tube, a pair of tube grip blocks within said bodyportion, one tube grip block disposed each side of said tube slot, apair of operating levers pivoted within said body portion, one operatinglever disposed on each side of said tube grip blocks, floating cam meansengageable by said operating levers and pivoted in said tube grip blocksadapted to move said tube grip blocks first into engagement with theflattened end of said collapsible tube and then downwardly with respectto said body portion whereby to compress the said tube against the topof said body portion and dispense contents therefrom, and means carriedby said body portion engaging said flattened end of the collapsible tubepreventing accidental upward movement of said collapsible tube when notengaged by said tube grip blocks,

3. Means for dispensing the contents of collapsible tubes comprising abody portion having a slot therethrough to accommodate the empty endportion of a collapsible tube, a pair of tube grip blocks within saidbody portion, one tube grip block disposed each side of said tube slot,spring means constantly urging said tube grip blocks upwardly withinsaid body portion, a pair of operating levers pivoted within said bodyportion, one operating lever disposed on each side of said tube gripblocks, floating cam means engageable by manually squeezing saidoperating levers and pivoted in said tube grip blocks adapted to movesaid tube grip blocks first into engagement with said empty end portionof said collapsible tube and then downwardly from the top of said bodyportion whereby to compress the full portion of said tube against thetop of said body portion and dispense contents therefrom, and meansengaging the empty end portion of said collapsible tube whereby toprevent upward movement thereof upon release of said operating levers.

4. Means for dispensing the contents of collapsible tubes comprising abody portion having a slot therethrough to accommodate the empty endportion of a collapsible tube, a pair of tube grip blocks within saidbody portion each having an anti-friction surface facing the other, onetube grip block disposed each side of said tube slot, a pair ofoperating levers pivoted within said body portion, one operating leverdisposed on each side of said tube grip blocks, floating cam meanscarried at one end by said operating levers and pivoted at the other endin said tube grip blocks adapted to move said tube grip blocksresponsive to squeezing said operating levers first into engagement withthe empty end portion of said collapsible tube and then downwardly fromthe top of said body portion whereby to compress the full portion ofsaid tube against the top of said body portion and dispense contentstherefrom, spring means constantly urging said tube grip blocks out ofengagement with said empty portion of said collapsible tube.

5. Means for dispensing the contents of collapsible tubes including ahollow body portion having a central tube slot therethrough toaccommodate the flattened end portion of a collapsible tube and a dishedupper end upon which the filled portion of said collapsible tube restswhen said tube is positioned in dispensing relationship within said bodyportion, a pair of operating levers pivoted within said body portion andextending therefrom, a pair of tube grip blocks having opposedanti-friction faces disposed within said body portion between saidoperating levers, one tube grip block being located each side of saidcentral tube slot, floating cam means pivoted at one end in said tubegrip blocks and supported at their other end in said operating leversactuated by said operating levers causing said tube grip blocks toengage said flattened end portion of said collapsible tube and pull itdownwardly in respect to the top of said body portion whereby toaccomplish a dispensing cycle by compressing the filled portion of saidcollapsible tube against the top of said body portion and dispensecontents therefrom, means carried by said body portion engaging theflattened end portion of said collapsible tube preventing accidental removal therefrom between dispensing cycles, and spring means constantlyurging said tube grip blocks upwardly and outwardly causing saidfloating cams to reposition said operating levers after each dispensingcycle is completed.

No references cited.

